Judge Blocks Air Permit for Power Plant

The Las Brisas Energy Center's air permit request was struck down Wednesday

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A state judge has struck down a state air permit for a planned coal-fired power plant on the Texas coast.

State District Judge Stephen Yelenosky ruled in Austin on Wednesday that the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality failed to require proponents of the Las Brisas Energy Center to show that it would meet standards aimed at easing air pollution.

In a statement, TCEQ spokesman Terry Clawson says the agency believes the permit is sufficiently protective. He says the agency is considering its next move.

Last May, Yelenosky rejected a previous TCEQ permit, saying the regulatory agency used models in granting its approval that failed to meet national air quality standards.

Environmental groups have raised air quality concerns about the unit planned for Corpus Christi's inner harbor.